Oxalis plant named ‘Jroxburwi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Oxalis  plant named ‘Jroxburwi’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; numerous basal leaves; dense and bushy plant form; freely flowering habit; dark purple-colored foliage; and white-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Oxalis regnellii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Jroxburwi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Oxalisplant, botanically known as Oxalis regnellii, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name ‘Jroxburwi’.

The new Oxalis is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Szombathely, Hungary. The objective of the program is tocreate new Oxalis cultivars with attractive foliage and flower colors.

The new Oxalis originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin 1993 of two unnamed selections of Oxalis regnellii, not patented. Thenew Oxalis was discovered and selected from the resultant progeny of thestated cross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment inSzombathely, Hungary in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Szombathely, Hungary since the summer of 2002,has shown that the unique features of this new Oxalis are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Jroxburwi have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity anddaylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Jroxburwi’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Jroxburwi’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofOxalis.

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant        habit.    -   2. Numerous basal leaves; dense and bushy plant form.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Dark purple-colored foliage.    -   5. White-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Oxalis differ primarily from plants of the parentselections in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oxalis have dark purple-colored foliage        whereas plants of the parent selections have green-colored        foliage.    -   2. Plants of the new Oxalis are more freely flowering than        plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Oxalis can be compared to plants of the cultivar DeepPurple, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in SouthernCalifornia, plants of the new Oxalis differed from plants of thecultivar Deep Purple primarily in leaf color as plants of the cultivarDeep Purple had red purple-colored leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Oxalis.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers and leaves of ‘Jroxburwi’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical plant of ‘Jroxburwi’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown in onegallon were used for the aforementioned photographs and followingdescription. Plants were about 16 weeks from planting rooted cuttings.Plants were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercialproduction conditions during the spring in Bonsall, Calif. in apolyethylene-covered greenhouse. During the production period, daytemperatures ranged from 13° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures rangedfrom 13° C. to 21° C.

-   Botanical classification: Oxalis regnellii cultivar Jroxburwi.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Oxalis            regnellii, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Oxalis            regnellii, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—By divisions.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 20 days at 20°            C.        -   Root description.—Fine, freely-branching; whitish in color.        -   Rhizome description.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About            1.5 cm. Scale length: About 7 mm. Scale width: About 9 mm.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous; scaly. Color: Close to 155A            overlain with 30C.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Herbaceous perennial flowering plant; upright,            outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit.        -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 38 cm.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate to rapid growth rate; vigorous.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Arising from rhizomes,            basal; clover like, palmate three-foliate; about ten to            twelve leaves per rhizome. Leaf length: About 6.4 cm. Leaf            width: About 6.4 cm. Leaflet length: About 4.2 cm. Leaflet            width: About 6.4 cm. Leaflet shape: Broadly obtriangular.            Leaflet apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing            foliage, upper surface: 182A. Developing foliage, lower            surface: 184B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 79A.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 187A. Venation, upper            surface: 79A. Venation, lower surface: 187B. Petiole:            Length: About 19.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Rotate single flowers single, scapose            and arranged in umbels. Flowers facing upright or outwardly            and positioned just at or slightly below the foliage.            Flowers not persistent. Freely flowering habit, about eight            flowers per umbel. Flowers not fragrant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round in Southern California;            flowering continuous during this period.        -   Time to flower.—Early flowering; plants begin flowering            about four weeks after planting.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five days.        -   Inflorescence length.—About 5 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Elongated oblong. Color: 157B.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five            petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:            About 2.2 cm. Petal width: About 8 mm. Petal shape: Obovate.            Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color:            Petal, when opening, upper surface: 155B. Petal, when            opening, lower surface: 155A. Petal, opened flower, upper            surface: 155D; towards the base, 144B. Petal, opened flower,            lower surface: 155B.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals,            fused at base into a slender tube. Length: About 6 mm.            Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 144A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 21 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Strength:            Moderately strong. Angle: Mostly erect. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: 144B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Strength:            Moderately strong. Angle: About 30° to 45° from vertical.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About ten in two            whorls. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm.            Anther color: 8A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 8A.            Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About            7 mm. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma color: 146B. Style length:            About 5 mm. Style color: 145B. Ovary color: 145B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Oxalis have not been    noted to be resistant to other pathogens and pests common to Oxalis.-   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Oxalis are tolerant    to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate temperatures    from −2° C. to 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Oxalis plant named ‘Jroxburwi’, asillustrated and described.